I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 154

"Da Vinci, and Miss Ziyuan, you two have suddenly become so passionate. Has something good happened?" Ling hadn't paid attention to their conversation before, but when he noticed them again, they seemed to have developed a strange bond.

"It's nothing, I've just found a good opponent." Da Vinci didn't want to drag Ling into the conflict, so he calmly glossed over the issue. "Then, my disciple, Olga's words earlier made a lot of sense; I hadn't considered it carefully. In that case, why are you unwilling to give up?"

"Don't joke around, Da Vinci! Since you gave me this thing, of course I'm going to make the most of it and use it to cheat! So I've decided that as soon as I reach an agreement with Einzbern, I'll take Ilya to Guanbuzi City. That way, I can kill three birds with one stone!" Ling's eyes flashed with reminiscence, but in the end, she revealed a slightly bitter smile.

"Well, that's true, but what kind of expression should I wear when I face someone who doesn't know me?"

After saying this, without waiting for Olga to ask any further questions, he jumped out of bed. "Let's get going, Olga! There are some things we should figure out sooner rather than later!"

Ling grabbed the robe at the foot of the bed and rushed out of the room. When he opened the door, the maid who had brought them there was standing straight by the door with her eyes closed. Ling's action of opening the door seemed to be a signal, and the maid slowly opened her eyes and asked softly, "How can I help you?"

"Take me to Yubustakuhaid." Ling didn't mince words and directly ordered the maid.

"I'm sorry, Lord Ling, the clan leader is currently dealing with very important matters and cannot come here." The maid replied expressionlessly, but Ling couldn't help but see a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes as she spoke.

“Then take me to Irisviel.” Since the other party said so, Ling had no intention of forcing the issue. If he couldn’t find Yubustakuhaid, he could go to another party involved, or rather, the messenger of another party involved.

"I obey your command. Please follow me." This time, the maid readily agreed to Ling's request. She bowed slightly to Ling as if nothing had happened, and then gestured to lead the way.

"Ling! Wait for me!" Olga grabbed the Chaldea bracelet that Ling had placed beside her pillow and ran after her.

The entire forest was covered in white snow in the cold winter. Looking out the window, one could see a vast expanse of white snow. Kiritsugu Emiya stood by the window, watching the snowflakes falling from the sky. Not far behind him, the fireplace emitted the crackling sound of burning flames and a warm glow. He had been standing in this position for more than an hour, and might continue to do so indefinitely.

Not long ago, he learned information that was enough to make him despair. Now, he was filled with confusion and loss. Even in this room, with his beloved who could bring him peace and happiness, he still looked at the wind and snow outside like a heartless person, his mind in complete chaos.

"Kiritsugu." After Irisviel, who was sitting by the bed, coaxed Illya to sleep, she slowly walked behind her husband and gently hugged him. "Don't think too much. Since the Sect Master has given such an order, you just need to prepare for the Holy Grail War according to the original plan."

His wife's words gave Kiritsugu Emiya, whose thoughts were in turmoil, an outlet. He placed his slightly cold right hand on the back of his wife's hand that was wrapped around him, feeling the familiar warmth, and his whole body relaxed for a moment.

He didn't answer his wife's question, but silently tightened his grip on her hand, his whole body beginning to tremble. "Hey, Alice—do you think the Holy Grail really can't grant my wish?"

This was the first time Irisviel had heard her husband speak in such a pleading tone. She didn't know how to respond, because she felt that whether she told the truth or lied, Kiritsugu would not receive any comfort, since the answer was already in his heart.

Chapter 353 A Hopeless Answer (Part 2)

“Alice, if what that person said is true, then you—” Kiritsugu Emiya couldn’t finish his sentence; his heart felt like it had been stabbed.

“No, Kiritsugu, I won’t sacrifice myself in vain.” Irisviel shook her head, leaning against his back.

“From the day I was born, my future was essentially predetermined.” A voice, as loving as that of the Virgin Mary, slowly seeped into Kiritsugu’s ears. “Didn’t we already discuss this when Illya was born?”

“I understand your ideals and share the same aspirations as you, which is why I came together with you. You led me down this path, and you made me no longer have to live like a puppet.”

Living with a shared ideal, willing to die for it, and thus becoming his other half—this is Irisviel's way of loving; only she, in this way, can be compatible with him.

"You don't need to mourn for me, I've become a part of you. So, you just need to endure the pain of losing that part of your body."

“But things are different now!” Kiritsugu Emiya slammed his fist against the glass, a silent sob rising within him. “If what that person said is true! If the Holy Grail means nothing to me! Then you shouldn’t accept that fate! Now that you know the answer! You might as well run away! Yes, if I can take you and Illya with me and run away—”

There was no escaping it. Irisviel knew this fact very well. Even if Kiritsugu changed his mind and took her and Illya away, the result would still be the same. Even if the Holy Grail had been corrupted and her husband's wish could not be fulfilled through the Holy Grail, in the end, Irisviel would still go to that place of death.

Since the Winter Saintess's consciousness was revived, the being named Irisviel has become corrupted. As long as the other party has such thoughts, this body will no longer be under her control.

"Whether it's the Sect Master or the Saintess, they are both seeking this future for Einzbern. As a member of Einzbern, I am destined to sacrifice for this future. And more importantly, I am doing this not only for Einzbern, but also for you and Ilya."

Irisviel was not worried about her inevitable death. Having come to understand love, she dispelled her fear of death because of this love. "Is the truth about the Holy Grail really as that Servant said? Kiritsugu, you will only know by witnessing it with your own eyes, won't you?"

"Use this opportunity to verify the truth of that Servant's words, and also to give Illya an explanation. Kiritsugu, you must remember, even if you lose me, you can't lose our daughter. After that, you must come back to see this child, as an ordinary father, with dignity."

This felt like a prophecy, or perhaps a dying wish, causing Kiritsugu Emiya intense pain.

A crisp knocking sound suddenly rang out, and before anyone inside could respond, the door was pushed open without permission, immediately drawing the attention of Kiritsugu and Irisviel.

A humanoid maid flashed in from the other side of the door and slowly pushed it open. "Lord Ling, this is it."

On the other side of the door, Ling and Olga stood there awkwardly, exchanging glances with the Emiya couple. The air suddenly became quiet, and no one spoke.

Ilya, who had just fallen asleep and entered a light sleep, seemed to sense something. She slowly sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes and murmuring, "Mom? Where are you?"

Hearing Ilya's call, Irisviel finally reacted. She released her arms from her husband and quickly walked to the bedside, watching the uninvited guest outside the door warily.

Kiritsugu Emiya remained standing there expressionless, completely ignoring Rin and the others. This was understandable, as Rin and the others had arrived so suddenly. The couple were discussing something very important when they were interrupted, and neither of them would give the other a friendly look.

Ling nudged Olga, signaling her to do something, but Olga glared at him unhappily. "Why me?"

“Because I’m not familiar with social etiquette. As someone born into nobility, shouldn’t you be using your innate status and the knowledge you’ve cultivated since childhood to break this tragedy?” Ling lowered her voice and tilted her head to Olga’s ear.

"It was clearly that maid's fault, why should I, this young lady, have to clean up the mess?!" Olga glanced unhappily at the strange maid who had led the way, her face full of reluctance.

Before Ling could even offer any advice, she strode confidently into the room. "It's all very sudden. Please forgive our abrupt visit, Mr. Emiya Kiritsugu. My servant has something very important to discuss with you. It concerns your daughter's health."

She had been so arrogant and refused before, but then she turned around and handled Ling's request properly. Da Vinci watched Olga's back and felt that Olga had really changed a lot. Of course, she was happy to see this change. However, she felt that after Olga returned, she had to give this arrogant director some advice, otherwise, she was afraid that Ling would have her completely under his thumb in the future.

Kiritsugu Emiya hadn't expected Olga to use such a reason to open the conversation, a reason that forced him to respond, "I understand. So, where would you like to talk?"

From his perspective, he could see that the environment in which Leonardo da Vinci was located had changed. Based on his own analysis, it was not difficult to determine that in this other timeline, only Shion and Leonardo da Vinci were involved in the current conversation, which is why he asked this question.

“It’s fine here. After you’re done talking, we’ll go back for dinner.” Seeing that Kiritsugu Emiya had lowered his guard, Ling came in as well. “Regarding Miss Illya, didn’t I say before that I could find a way to extend her lifespan? Since I have some things to take care of here, I’d like to resolve them all at once.”

Hearing someone call her name, Ilya, who had already woken up, clung to her mother's arm and stood up on the bed, pointing at Ling and exclaiming, "Oh! It's a very pretty big sister!"

Ling turned her head sharply and said to Ilya, "I told you, he's a big brother! Ilya, look carefully! He's a big brother!"

Startled by Ling's reaction, Ilya tilted her head in confusion, muttered a few words under her breath, and then looked up and exclaimed, "She's clearly the big sister! She's the big sister!"

“Big brother! Not big sister! You can call me uncle if you don’t want to call me big brother! Just don’t call me sister!” Ling shouted back loudly without backing down!

Chapter 354 A Hopeless Answer (Part 2)

"Big sister! Big sister!" Ilya found it very amusing. After all, in this castle, apart from her father and mother who would talk to her, the other homunculus beings would not react to what was happening in the outside world unless they were given an order.

Today, she saw people she had never met before, and one of them even gave her a feeling of familiarity, so Ilya became unusually excited, a behavior commonly known as being overly enthusiastic about people.

In fact, Ilya already knew that Ling was really her older brother, since her mother had told her. As a well-behaved child, Ilya naturally believed her mother's words. However, when she saw Ling's amusing reaction after calling her "big sister," she couldn't help but act up because she found it fun.

“Alright, little Ilya, that’s very impolite.” Irisviel reached out and picked up Ilya, walking to her husband’s side. She looked at the maid standing behind them with a strange gaze.

Since Ling and the others came in, the maid had simply closed the door, shut her eyes, and stood beside it. This behavior was completely different from the behavior of the homunculi that Irisviel knew. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but deep down she felt that this maid seemed a little different from before.

But before she could think about it further, her husband's question brought her back to her senses: "How long will it take to resolve the matter concerning Ilya?"

"I don't know, but if we find that person, at least Ilya will live past eighteen." Ling stopped teasing Ilya, but his eyes never left her face, because her pouty expression was really cute.

"That person?" Kiritsugu Emiya repeated in confusion.

“Yes, after all, this kind of thing needs to be handled by professionals. I have no way to deal with it, but I do know who does.” Perhaps it was because Ling’s gaze was too unrestrained, or perhaps it was because his tone was too casual, but Emiya Kiritsugu moved his feet and blocked the figures of his wife and daughter.

Ling regretfully withdrew her gaze and finally looked at Kiritsugu Emiya's sorrowful face. "So for Illya's sake, you must send us to Kanbuko City in Japan. If that person is there, he should be able to handle this kind of thing."

"Who is that person?" Emiya Kiritsugu had heard of the city, but that was all.

“Aozaki Touko.” Rin didn’t hide anything and told Emiya Kiritsugu the answer directly. But the person who reacted the most upon hearing the name was not Kiritsugu, but Olga, who was standing next to Rin.

"Wait! Rin, are you saying that Aozaki Touko from this timeline is in Misaki Town?!" Olga suddenly grabbed Rin's arm tightly, staring at him excitedly with wide eyes.

Ling didn't know why Olga was so excited. He looked at Olga thoughtfully, then at the completely clueless Da Vinci, and at the still confident Shion. Finally, he nodded and then shook his head.

"What do you mean by this?!" Olga asked anxiously, clearly finding the question very important to her.

"Why are you so nervous? Let me make this clear first, I am indeed going to find Aozaki Touko, but she is currently in a sealed state. If a magician approaches her, they might be killed as an enemy. And I said possibly, since Aozaki Touko's first confirmed appearance was in 1998."

The current time is 1993, which means that the story of Witcher Night has already taken place. Logically speaking, Aozaki Touko has been ordered to be sealed by the Mage's Association and should be running around the world now. Even he is not sure if she is in Kanbu City now, but he decides to go there to try his luck.

Even if he can't find her, it doesn't matter. Besides Aozaki Touko, there are other people who can handle Illya's problems. However, if Aozaki Touko really isn't around, then his plan to find someone to create summoning tickets will have to be put on hold for now.

"Huh? Sealing designation?" Olga heard a term that sent chills down her spine. She knew exactly what sealing designation was, but she never expected that Aozaki Touko would be designated, which was different from what she knew.

"Don't even think about it. The Aozaki Touko you encountered should have already had her designation revoked. After all, as the sister of a mage, she dismantled the Designation Execution Department. If the designation isn't revoked soon, even the Clock Tower might be demolished." Ling looked at Olga with a gloating expression. "Speaking of which, if they report our situation to higher authorities, even you, Olga, would definitely be issued a sealing designation, right?"

Olga had intended to continue asking about Aozaki Touko, but Rin's interruption made her frown and consider the possibility.

Indeed, even though she is the head of the Animusphia family and the monarch of the Clock Tower's Celestial Department, if the Mage Association knew that she was the Star Maiden and that there was a Listener by her side, those ancient beings would very likely take action against her through the Sealed Execution Department in order to obtain the information they wanted from Listener.

While Olga was pondering, Kiritsugu Emiya had already decided to believe Rin's words. After all, he knew about Aozaki Touko, whom Rin had mentioned. As a magician killer, he naturally understood the implications of having been designated for sealing by the Mage's Association.

“I understand, I will prepare the tickets as soon as possible.” Kiritsugu Emiya nodded decisively.

"That's good. Oh, right, I have some questions I'd like to ask you, Madam." Ling looked at Kiritsugu Emiya very seriously. "There are some things I need to figure out, otherwise I won't be able to eat or sleep properly."

Upon hearing Rin's words, Kiritsugu Emiya hesitated for a moment, and before he could make a decision, Irisviel stepped forward. "If you have any questions for me, I will answer them to the best of my knowledge, but please promise me one thing."

Ling was surprised that Irisviel would make such a request, but he quickly understood what was going on, because he saw an emotion in Irisviel's eyes.

"If you're talking about Ilya, then rest assured, since we've already signed the contract, I will certainly do my best."

“No, it has nothing to do with the contract,” Irisviel said, looking at the original in her arms with only one emotion in her eyes, the most sincere emotion in the world, the existence of maternal love. “I want you to answer a question for me in person. This is a wish of a pure mother.”

Then, she smiled brightly, the first time Ling had ever seen his wife with such a beautiful smile, "Can I entrust Ilya to you with peace of mind?"

Ling lowered his head; he didn't want to see this kind of thing. Or rather, he hated it.

Chapter 355 Covered in Fog (Part 1)

“I can’t promise you anything, because I hate taking on unnecessary responsibilities,” Ling said, her tone slightly annoyed.

"It's alright. I just want you to promise me that you'll take care of Ilya if you have the time." Irisviel didn't back down because of Ling's attitude. For her, the thing she couldn't let go of in the future was her beloved daughter. She didn't want her daughter to follow in her footsteps and become a victim of a new Holy Grail War.

Shortly after giving birth to Illya, Irisviel hoped that her Holy Grail War would be the last. She believed that if the Einzbern family won, the obsession that haunted the family would dissipate. Before knowing the truth about the Holy Grail War, or rather, before the arrival of Rin, she had full confidence in Kiritsugu, believing that they would be the victors of this Holy Grail War. Now, however, that hope has become extremely slim.

Irisviel deeply loved her husband, but that didn't mean she didn't love her daughter. She knew that even if Kiritsugu suffered setbacks here, he would quickly get back on his feet and resolutely return to the path he was pursuing. As his wife, she supported him.

But after Rin told Kiritsugu that he would kill everyone on the other side of the scale, Irisviel knew that she had to find a way to keep him away from this tragedy. Even if she couldn't do that, she couldn't let him choose to sacrifice Illya in the future. And now the only way out was Rin.

“Mrs. Irisviel, I still stand by what I said: I can only do my best.” Unsure of Irisviel’s plans, Ling could only offer this final reply.

“Your effort is enough,” Irisviel sighed, not pressing the matter further. “So, what would you like to ask me?”

The main event is coming!

Upon hearing this, everyone became alert. Judging from Qian Ling's attitude, the question he was asking Irisviel this time must be very important.

"I want to know what exactly happened when the old man with the gem came to Einzbern, what he said, and what he left behind."

Hearing Ling's slightly anxious question, Irisviel frowned and thought for a long time before speaking, "Actually, I don't know exactly what happened because I wasn't there at the time. So I can only tell you what I know. Is that alright?"

Ling was not disappointed by the answer; he nodded to show his understanding.

Irisviel looked around the room and found there was nowhere to sit. "Let's go to the conference room. The environment there is more suitable."

As she spoke, she turned to look at her husband, gesturing for him to come along. Kiritsugu Emiya understood and walked ahead, and the group headed towards the conference room in a grand procession.

As Irisviel passed the maid, she seemingly casually tossed her hair, her crimson eyes gleaming slightly. Her magically enhanced vision carefully examined the android, but found nothing. She assumed no one noticed the action, but Olga, walking at the back, sensitively observed Irisviel's gesture.

She glanced at the android maid without saying a word, then walked out of the room as if nothing had happened. In the end, she didn't say anything to Ling, who was walking ahead of her.

Upon entering the conference room, Kiritsugu Emiya sat on the left side of the square table, and then Irisviel placed little Illya in the chair between the two of them.

Ling and Olga naturally sat down opposite them, while the maid, instead of standing by the door, walked behind Ling and stood there.

Da Vinci and Ziyuan clearly saw this scene, and they both had the same thought: Ling's status in Einzbern was higher than they had imagined.

Ling also noticed the maid's strange behavior, but he didn't ask any questions, as that wasn't the priority. After everyone was seated, Ling eagerly asked, "Can you tell me what you know now, Mrs. Alice?"

Irisviel didn't intend to keep her in suspense. After whispering for Ilya to behave, she looked up at Ling sitting opposite her. "Of course, it all started seven years ago—"

Seven years ago, on an ordinary afternoon, the Einzbern received feedback from the magic barrier that someone had appeared inside the barrier without warning. After some detection and verification, the terminal of the father of homunculi, Yubustakuhaid, ordered the Einzbern to open the gates to welcome the guest.

Under the watchful eyes of all the androids, the Second Magician revisited the Winter City after 300 years.

Irisviel was also present at the time, but Kiritsugu Emiya and the newborn Illya were asked to stay in the room, so only she witnessed the legendary mage.

Irisviel is a clone of Justessa, created by the Homunculus Father. When creating her, the Homunculus Father instilled in her the memories of the Winter Saintess and everything about the Einzbern family, so she already knew what a Jeweled One looked like.

However, the Gem Elder did not look well at the time. Although he still looked very healthy, compared with the Gem Elder in her memory, he was pale now and looked like he had just recovered from a serious illness. Moreover, she felt that the Gem Elder she saw in person was not real and seemed to be missing something.

After Yubstakuhaid welcomed the Jewel King into Winter City on behalf of Einzbern, Irisviel returned to her room. She didn't care what the Grand Marshal of the Magic Sect had come for or what he had said to the Sect Master. In the end, she only vaguely knew that the Jewel King stayed in Winter City for about three days before leaving in a hurry, and then a new plan began in Einzbern.

At this point, Irisviel smiled and looked at Ling, "The plan begins with a new android body and seven cards, and that body is called the 'Perfect Body,' which is the one you are using now."

Although Ling's face showed no expression, his heart sank deeper and deeper. According to what he had gathered, the reason why the old man with the gemstone looked like he had just recovered from a serious illness was because he had been ambushed and seriously injured by Ji Ling. As for the timeline, it was already a parallel world, so there was no need to consider it at all.

But why did he come to this world despite being severely injured, instead of finding a place to recuperate? And why did he hand over the method of creating his body and those seven items that seemed to be class cards to the Einzbern family? What was his purpose?

While Irisviel was giving her statement, no one spoke, but now that she had paused to rest, someone finally couldn't help but speak up.

Chapter 356 Covered in Fog (Part 2)

"You said the Demon Marshal left behind the method for creating Ling's body, but did he tell you what you Einzbern wanted to do with this body?" Olga couldn't understand Gemstone's actions. Logically, since he gave the blueprints for creating Ling's body to the Einzbern, there was no reason for him to leave without explaining. In fact, with the Einzbern's technology, it wouldn't take much time to create a new android. Why didn't he wait for the Einzbern to finish creating it before leaving?

"Yes, he made an agreement with the sect leader that he would take a fully repaired body with him next time he comes." It wasn't Irisviel who answered her, but the maid standing behind Ling.